The Legend of Zelda: Return of the Hero
by GoldenSorceror
Summary: After Link's search for Navi ends in failure, he returns to Hyrule to aid in the prosecution of the captured Ganondorf, being one of few who retain memories of the man's crimes in the alternate timeline. Accepting the King's offer of knighthood, Link now embarks on an inward, personal journey to rediscover his strength and once again rise to the mantle of being the fabled Hero.
1. Chapter 1

**So, before anything, I wanted to include a small Author's Note to clear things up, because, as we all know, the Legend of Zelda timeline can be convoluted in some cases. This story takes place after Ocarina of Time and Majora's mask in the Child Era timeline. In other words, this is the Timeline that is created after Link returns to his own time at the end of the Ocarina of Time and warns Zelda and the King of Ganondorf's intentions. In this timeline, Link leaves the Master Sword in its pedestal, the Triforce remains in the Sacred Realm, and Link then leaves Hyrule to search for Navi. This leads to Majora's Mask, in which, Link is taken to Termina and must stop the Skull Kid, who is in possession of/possessed by an evil mask and seeks to destroy the world. Link defeats the Skull Kid, after obtaining many powerful objects and masks, and ultimately what happens to Link afterwards is left sort of ambiguous.**

**Now, with all of this said, all games in the Child's Era timeline AFTER Majora's Mask are not relevant to this story (though I may include elements from other games here). **

**So, all in all, Link is current in possession of:**

The Gilded Sword

The Transformation Masks (Goron, Zora, Deku, and Fierce Deity)

The Mirror Shield

A Bow

The Light, Ice, and Fire Arrows

Bombs

The Ocarina of Time

The Fairy Ocarina

**And these are objects belonging to Link that ARE NOT in his possession:**

The Master Sword

The Triforce of Courage

The Six Medallions

**Any further questions can be asked and answered in review, and, without further ado, please enjoy!**

* * *

How could they ask this of her? She was a little girl. A princess, yes, but still a little girl. A part of her despised her father for asking such a thing of her, something so extreme and completely unnecessary. A large part of her hated Ganondorf, of course, for ever being so wicked. And though she was ashamed of it, a large part of her hated Link, despite the fact that she had been the one to set him on the path that led to all this. For that reason, she also hated herself.

"Why must I do this?" she asked her father again as they walked through the dungeon halls.

"He has stopped eating," her father explained. "He says he will not eat until he sees you. The guards lack the strength to force feed him."

"Then let the villain starve!" Zelda cried.

"Zelda, my child," the King chastised, "most of the crimes for which he is accused occurred in a timeline that no longer exists. We'e lucky he surrendered himself upon accusation, and equally fortunate that the Gerudos did not immediately go into riot upon learning of this news. We have Nabooru to thank for that. We have to handle this as diplomatically as possible. Especially since our main witness, Link, has left on a private journey. We cannot execute him and we cannot allow for any accusations of mistreatment."

"I-I... I'm scared..."

"You will be fine, I swear to you. I will be right there."

_But he killed you in the other world_, Zelda thought to herself.

The young Zelda gulped. Both she and father continued travelling down the halls until they came to one, particularly large and former cell, within it, a single, and most vile prisoner. She sat on a bed, one of few provided in this prison, still wearing the formal clothing of the Gerudo king. His ling was attached to a long chain tied to the floor. There were two cups around his wrist with runes on them to prevent the use of magic.

"And there she is," King Ganondorf said, "the elusive Princess Zelda."

The Princess took staggered breaths.

"Why do you call for me, villain?" the Princess spat.

"You call me villain," Ganondorf commented, "but you haven't the foggiest memory of all my crimes against you. I have called you, girl, because I find myself in a position where I can no longer manipulate you and the Hero's ignorance of our shared destiny to my advantage, so I might as well explain things to you."

"E-Explain?" Zelda pondered.

"Watch yourself, Ganon," the King warned.

"Yes," Ganon continued, ignoring the King. "I find it unfair to leave you in the dark. Now listen, girl. Some things you already know, despite your naivete and ignorant disposition. Many centuries ago, three golden goddess created the Land of Hyrule and the races that reside within it. For the salvation of the people that they had created, they left behind a device through which, the divinity of all other gods could be channeled. They called this device the Triforce, for it was founded upon three separate yet related virtues: Wisdom, the work of Nayru, Power, the work of Din, and Courage, the work of Farore. Each portion was and individual blessing in and of itself, yet incomplete in nature without the other two."

"Why do you tell us this?" the King interrupted. "All of this, we know."

"As I was saying, Wisdom, Power, and Courage, these three great virtues lie within the hearts of men, all of them tools used to appeal to the gods. Henceforth, the Triforce was the ultimate prayer tool, in that whosoever possessed the complete Triforce could simply ask and the way of the world would be altered. To protect the Triforce, the left it in the hands of a virtuous sorceress Maiden who drew her power from the Goddess Hylia, and her champion, a Knight whom was gifted with a Sword forged by Hylia herself, the fabled Master Sword. The Maiden and her Knight accepted happily. However, the Maiden soon found herself at odds with a powerful demonic Sorcerer who sought the Triforce for himself. The Knight did battle with the sorcerer, whilst the maiden sought to protect the gods' gift. In that moment, the Triforce split between the wills of three different people, the knight, the maiden, and the sorcerer."

"The Triforce was divided?" the princess asked.

"Yes, the Triforce of Courage was linked to the knight, the sorcerer obtained Power, and the Maiden wielded wisdom. The battle between the Sorcerer and the Knight continued, but, with the Triforce of Wisdom now in her possession, the Maiden was able to pinpoint the Sorcerer's weakness, which she and the Knight took advantage of. The Sorcerer was defeated, and the Triforce was once again made whole. However, the separate piece were still linked, in a way, to those who had originally wielded them. In spite, the Sorcerer cursed his own name and that of his enemies so that the battle might continue to be fought throughout all time. He bound his own soul to the depths of the Underworld, knowing that his connection to the Triforce of Power would draw him back from the depths eventually.

"And so it was that across the ages, the soul of the Sorcerer would be reborn in a situation that would inspire in him that same hatred of the first, and the same desire for the Triforce. The soul of the Knight, who would periodically rest in the Heavens, would also be drawn back to the mortal realm to protect the world from the Sorcerer's threat. As for the Maiden, she would not be reincarnated, for her connection to the gods in the Heavens was greater than her connection to the Triforce of Widom. However, her descendants would come to be the rulers of the land in which they resided, the kingdom of Hyrule, and so, her connection to the Triforce of Wisdom was passed down through blood, and in every age, a princess would be born to this Royal line to mimic the original Maiden in her duty. Tht would be you my dear."

The Princess let out a breath. The King took a step forwards.

"I will ask again, and you will answer," the King said. "Why do you say these things?"

"Calm yourself, your Highness," Ganon said. "I merely seek to give you the confession you so desire. Well, part of it. What I am trying to say is that this little duel between three people's is more important than anything in the world, and is un-beholden to all things. Including time. And that is precisely what has happened here. I, the Sorcerer, divided the Triforce once again. Holding the Triforce of Power, I took over all things. The Hero was too young to combat me, so the Triforce of Courage and the Master Sword fast forwarded him years into the future to give him greater strength. Meanstwhile, you, the princess who mimics the Maiden, grew up and obtained knowledge enough to be worthy of the Triforce of Wisdom, as well as the sacred magics of your bloodline. I was defeated by you and your hero, as well as these Six Sages of yours. However, the hero then traveled back in time to prevent my actions. So the full Triforce remains whole and locked away, while the Hero is young again, I remain weak, and you, ignorant.

"And yet," Ganon went on, "The Hero remembers everything. As do I. Your Six Sages remember too, don't they, despite the fact that they hold no inherent connection to the Triforce? All the relatively major players in this little tale remembers these undone events... Except you."

The Princess gasped. She'd been caught.

"How strange," Ganon said sarcastically, "the chosen wielder of the Triforce of Wisdom and Knowledge would be the only one to lack the shared knowledge of us all. Why do we remember and not you? Well, this is just a theory, but it may have something to do with the guilt."

"The... Guilt?" Zelda asked.

"Yes," said Ganon. "The Guilt. You see, in that alternate Timeline, it was your fault that the window opened for me to gain the Triforce. Your fault that I became so powerful. And so, though I only felt it for the moment that I had you trapped in my power, you were struck with heavy guilt. Myself, your hero, the Sages, we all have personalities similar to the versions of ourselves to whom these memories belong. However, you lack the guilt that is tied to your other self's memories, and so you do not inherit the memories. Now, if I were you, I'd consider that a blessing. However, your father thinks it a disadvantage, as it limits your ability to testify to my actions and prosecute me."

"That's enough!" the King shouted. "Do not poison my daughter, you foul man!"

"I haven't said anything that isn't true," Ganon retorted.

The King grabbed his daughter's hand.

"Let's go, Zelda," he said. "As for you Ganon, the guard around the cell be increased."

"Oh no, what a tragedy," Ganon snarked.

The King scowled, it was an unfortunate truth that this was the most he could do to punish the man.

As the two royals walked away from the Cell, Ganon called out to them. "Do not fear, oh descendants of the Maiden. Your hero shall return. With him you can prosecute me, and, by him, you shall be protected from all things to come."

* * *

Miles away, the Hero was in the midst of a forest, sword in hand, buried in the chest of the Moblin that he stood on. He had defeated this foe with great skill. No matter what, he was still a great warrior. But he felt tired. As he withdrew his sword and walked away from the corpse, he stumbled and fell to his knees from fatigue.

"Are you alright?" asked the Skull child, his new traveling companion, who jumped towards him, darting through the air.

"I'm fine, just..." he looked at his Gilded blade, stained in the blood of his foe. "Not the same."


	2. Chapter 2

**So, short Author's Note:**

**First things first, I apologize for taking so long to post an update to this story. I've had finals and final projects, so I've been pretty busy. Now that it's summer vacation, hopefully I'll be able to create a consistent update schedule. Please know, I truly put my all into every chapter.**

**Secondly, I would like to say that I am stunned and thankful for the positive feedback this story received on the first chapter, I.E., the influx of follows and favorites. I have tons of insecurities about that quality of my writing, so please leave reviews and suggestions, and remember to share this story with your friends.**

**Lastly, the first chapter began with a list of objects that Link is currently in possession of, and I'm afraid I must make a slight amendment regarding that Fierce Deity's Mask. The ultimate fate of this Mask is not directly stated, as the final cutscenes of Majora's Mask are created with the possibility in mind that the player might not have obtained this mask, despite the fact that Link did canonically obtain it. However, popular theories seem to suggest that it lost its power alongside Majora in the final battle, so, for simplicity's sake, this is the theory that I shall follow. (Some theorize that the Happy Mask Salesman was, in fact, the creator of both masks, or, at least, a descendant of the tribe that created them, and, knowing that they were evil, orchestrated the events of the game to destroy them both. This is an interesting theory. Though, whether or not it shall impact this story is to be decided.) With that said, I do not want it to seem as if I don't have any sort of plan for this story, because I do. I'm just staying malleable, as much of Zelda lore is controversial and can be interpreted many different ways, which is one of the beauties of the franchise.**

**Without further ado, enjoy!**

* * *

It had somehow been easier to be a sage when the world had been destroyed.

Sitting on her desk stool, looking into the large, ornate mirror on top of the dresser, Saria's hair somehow looked more unkempt now that she had properly mauled the whole entity of it with the sharp, Hylian comb that they had provided her with. She supposed that the hair of Kokiri had different traits than that of Hylians. after all, she had never had to comb her hair before.

As a matter of fact, she had never needed any of this before. She hadn't needed a heavily decorated room in Hyrule's castle, or to be officially knighted by the king. She didn't need access to over thirty servants at her beck and call to feed her or provide her with clothing. To guide her out of her bed at night just so she could make it the the breakfast table. Okay, maybe that last one was valid. It was a very large and confusing castle. There were many rooms like the one she had been given, many spires, secret rooms, and more.

Her Fairy had left her. When Saria ascended to the Spirit Realm, her Fairy had not followed, and when the timeline reset, she awoke to find it similarly missing. The Great Deku Tree had always been somewhat coy in his explanations of the precise purpose of giving the Kokiri children Fairies and where the Fairies actually came from. This much Saria had known: to the other races, Fairies were ethereal beings. They happened upon travelers by chance or divine will, giving them whatever assistance need be, and then they would vanish just as quickly as they had appeared. Saria had grown under the belief that a Fairy would never part ways with a Kokiri, but this was untrue. Perhaps there were not set periods of time to a Fairy's assistance. Perhaps it had only been the fact that Kokiri do not typically grow up that caused there to be such an eternal bond between them and the Faries set to guide them on their way.

Saria remembered what the Great Deku Tree had told her and the rest of the Kokiri, that they would die if they ever left the Lost Forest. She knew now that this had actually been a lie told for the sake of protecting the Kokiri, and yet, Saria felt that she had died on some level. Before, when she first bcame a Sage, the awakening had come along with some sort of inherit wisdom, an awareness of what she was and what her purpose was, and while she retained her power and her memories, this enlightenment had faded. Not only that, but by giving Link the Forest Medal, she had maintained a sort of connection to him, and, in turn, a connection to the things that were important to her. She no longer had that. She needed that. She needed something to comfort her, something to remind her of home, something... Something like a-

"SKULL CHILD!" shrieked the familiar soprano voice of the servant who had tended to Saria the most, who was named Lona. "MONSTER IN THE CASTLE!"

Saria darted out of her room, Lona running past her. Saria ran in the direction that Lona had fled from. She was absolutely certain that she, and only she, could handle this situation correctly. She strained her mind to remember the castle layout correctly, but, if she was right, then the hallway was leading to the balcony that overlooked that castle's front gates.

Saria knew that in environments filled with shrubbery and trees, Skull Children are at their strongest. They are capable of manipulating plant life, creating illusions, and becoming invisible. In environments that lack a plethora of plant life, the first instinct of any Skull Child is to replicate such an environment, in other words, to create new plants using whatever resources available. Henceforth, when Saria stepped onto the wooden balcony and saw moss and mushrooms forming at a rapid rate on the walls, she was less surprised that Lona had been, as well as the guards wielding halberds on the bottom floor, pointing them at the Skull Child, who was floating in the air, back facing the castle gates.

"Why are you here, creature?!" said one of the guards.

"I seek an audience with your king," said the Skull Child. "I bring news! Good news!"

"The king would never take an audience with a vile creature such as you!" said the other guard. "Begone or be dead!"

One of the guards dropped his halberd and instead equipped his crossbow. He fired an arrow at the floating Skull Child, and it landed in his arm. While it did seem to cause pain, it didn't seem to do much in terms of actual damage.

"Ow! I beseech you! The news regards the hero, Link!"

_Link_? thought Saria.

Another arrow was fired at the Skull Kid, this time flying past him and striking the wall. After a sort of cantankerous dance of frustration, the Skull Kid stretched out his arms and legs in a similar manner as he had while he wore Majora's Mask. Vines and curling stalks began to rise from the ground beneath the soldiers, wrapping themselves around the men, crushing their weapons and seemingly attempting to do the same to them. This is where Saria intervened. Or rather, inter-vine-d. **(I know, I'm awful.)**

She outstretched her hand. On the wall, the mushrooms on the Skull Child's moss wilted, flowers growing in their stead. Likewise, the vines that were strangling the guards loosened their grip and bloomed in flowers.

She called out to the Skull Child, "I am Saria, Sage of the King, friend to the hero, and native Kokiri of the Lost Woods. Share with me all you have to say.

"Link will soon return to Hyrule," the Skull Child said. "He hopes to return in two day's time."

Saria could tell from the Skull Child's tone that it wasn't aware of the serious and joyful nature of what it had just said. She failed to fight back an open-mouth smile. Who needed Fairies when the Gods were on your side?

* * *

Somehow, Epona always knew. She knew where she was going. She knew exactly where Link needed to be. Perhaps Epona had been some sort of gift from the gods to the Chosen Hero, one of few that he had actually been allowed to keep after his job was done. She truly was a treasure of a steed. He wondered sometimes if Epona remembered as well as he did. If she remembered the taste of Ganon's evil in the air, how it felt as that very same tainted air blew past her as she tore across great distances of Hyrule's plains. She wondered if she missed the strength that she once possessed in her legs, and the height of the jumps that she had been able to achieve. He wondered if she missed the smell of Moblin blood as it sprayed past his face. The gazes of attractive women that he had felt on him. The feeling of the Master Sword in his hand and the hum of its energy as he-

Link shook his head, but the thoughts still lingered.

He needed to distract himself. Perhaps he would visit Malon on the route to the castle.

Koume and Kotake floated in the skies above. They watched as Link strode on Epona's back through the fields of Hyrule.

"Why don't we just destroy him right here?" Koume pondered aloud. "I want to get back at him for smiting us in that alternate timeline."

"Don't be so hotheaded!" Kotake chastised. "We need him alive!"

"Why?!"

"Look, nimrod," Kotake continued. "Either Ganondorf is going to get the Triforce of Power back and use it to escape, or the Gerudo will break him out and then he'll reclaim the Triforce and lead a war against Hyrule. Either way, he's gonna need the Triforce eventually, and that means we have to get into the Sacred Realm, and the only way to do that is to get into the Sacred Realm, and the only known way to do that is to have that brat pull the Master Sword from its pedestal again."

"Their might be another way," Koume suggested.

"And their might not be! We're not getting take the risk for petty revenge. Vengeance will be ours soon enough. I'm just glad he finally turned back to Hyrule and we didn't have to actually wait for him to find the Fairy."

"That would've been a mess," Koume agreed. "But the King is wary of us now. How will we get the boy to pull the sword?"

"One way or the other," Kotake said, looking down at the Hero, "he'll convince himself."

* * *

Impa stood in the doorway, watching, and, in a way, monitoring the King as he approached his daughter. The Ruler could feel Impa's glowing red eyes on the back of his neck. The Sheikah woman hadn't been told when Zelda was taken to visit Ganon. She had an unspoken authority over all decisions regarding the girl that went above even the King.

The girl was facing her window, which overlooked the castle's garden. The scent of the flowers was so strong that it traveled all the way into the room. She held her Lyre in her hands, lightly playing with he strings with her small, brittle fingers.

"I don't want to see that man anymore," she said.

"That's alright," the King said. "You don't have to. It was a mistake to bring you there." The King didn't really believe that it had been a mistake, and, to be honest, he couldn't be sure he wouldn't bring her back. Making promises he couldn't keep was an important part of being a ruler.

"Is Link really coming back?" Zelda asked.

"Creatures such as Skull Children are not to be trusted," the King said, "but I don't see why she would lie to the Kokiri."

"Will I have to testify against that man?"

"We can talk of this later," the King dismissed, "for now, rest."

Both the king and Impa exited Zelda's room, and stood together in the hallway.

"I know you're close to her," the King said, "but you are a Sage now. Your responsibilities as such are important."

"Who will entertain the Princess in my place?" asked Impa, almost defiantly.

"Link shall soon return, she will be entertained plenty."

"Link is likely to seek knighthood and focus on his training," Impa said. "Perhaps you should have the girl train in her magic like the rest of the Sages. She is destined to lead us."

"My daughter is young," the King said.

"As is Saria," Impa replied.

"The Kokiri will never age," said the King.

"Neither will Zelda if you keep babying her," Impa pointed out. "I am sworn never to let her get hurt, not by magic, not by Ganondorf, and not by her own weakness."

The King snorted in anger. "Very well. What is the political status in the Gerudo Desert?"

"My spies are still attempting to infiltrate," Impa reported.

"How long will it take?" the King asked.

"Longer than you're probably hoping it will," she said.

"Blast!" the King cried. "Damn it all!"

"Your Highness!" Impa hushed. They were still right outside Zelda's door. "We are doing everything we can to infiltrate the Gerudo, but even Nabooris can't give my agents shelter. We must remain patient. Meanstwhile, how do you plan to format the villains trial. If you yourself hold any position, there will be accusations of bias and impropriety."

"Trial by Divine," the King had decided.

"That hasn't been done in centuries!" Impa exclaimed.

"Neither has any of this. Unique situation. You sages will train for the spell."

And with that, the King of Hyrule left to return to his quarters.

* * *

He was back. Somehow, someway, he was back. He was in his adult form, Master Sword in hand, facing that Dark Beast form of Ganon. The beast charmed a beam to Fire, and Link lifted his Hyrulean shield to block. The beam grew stronger in potential energy, and Link stood his ground. And then, suddenly, his shield turned to wood, the Master Sword became the measly Kokiri sword, and Link himself was much younger again. He felt a great portion of his magic and stamina leave him. He looked behind him, and Zelda now stared at him with disgust. The beam was fired, and Link was consumed.

He was awoken with the sound of a familiar jingle. When he looked around, he was still on Epona's back, riding through the plains. Epona had kept them on the path. She truly was a treasure among horses.


End file.
